The story of one year in the life of a Crohn's sufferer. It's a philosophical and emotional journey as well as a good run-down on what having Crohn's Disease (or any form of IBD) is like. As a forum member stated, it was only after their mother read this book that she truly understood what it was like going through this disease. This book is recommended to other people who want to share more about life with IBD with their loved ones.

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Product Description

According to CCFA, there are up to one million Americans suffering from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and millions more around the world

There are many books about illness, but very few writers convey the courage and hope of battling a chronic illness as eloquently as Jim Lang. "Learning Sickness" is the compelling narrative of Jim’s battle with Crohn’s Disease. Diagnosed at the age of 26, Jim spent the next five years coming to terms with how to live with a chronic illness. During that time he fathered two children, earned a Ph.D., accepted his first teaching position, and launched a writing career. Jim Lang provides an absolutely unflinching look at the way the disease can penetrate into every aspect of a person's life: physical, emotional, and spiritual. He tackles the most sensitive areas of the disease with grace and skill, and wraps it all into a gripping narrative of illness and recovery that demonstrates how suffering can produce a special kind of wisdom. This book will help millions of Americans, and countless others around the globe, understand they do not suffer alone, and it will provide friends, families, and colleagues of sufferers with their first real glimpse into the toll the disease can take on their lives.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1238032 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

From Booklist
When English professor Lang was first diagnosed with the inflammatory bowel ailment Crohn's disease, he was at an age--26--when most people feel immortal. He had had a history of good health despite poor dietary habits; now he was told there was little he could do to alter the course of the illness. In the first few years after diagnosis, he behaved as before, and flare-ups were mild and quickly responsive to prescribed medications. The honeymoon ended when he was 33, and the disease almost completely disabled him. Forced to learn what it means to be sick, he grappled with issues of diet, alcohol, the limitations of pharmaceutical intervention, and communicating with doctors. And he came to grips with God, family, truth, and personal responsibility. His frank, intimate chronicle of the worst year of his life details suffering the pain and the ignominy of a severe bout of Crohn's, and it shares invaluable, hard-earned wisdom about how anyone with a debilitating disorder may learn to accept the cards he or she has been dealt and get on with living. Donna Chavez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"As much about a young man grappling with life's big questions as it...about being a Crohn's patient." -- Library Journal, March 1, 2004

"As much about a young man grappling with life's big questions as it...about being a Crohn's patient." --Library Journal, March 1, 2004

"His frank, intimate chronicle of the worst year of his life details...and shares invaluable, hard-earned wisdom." -- Booklist, March 1, 2004

"His frank, intimate chronicle of the worst year of his life details...and shares invaluable, hard-earned wisdom." --Booklist, March 1, 2004

"The brilliance of the writing distinguishes this book." -- Dr. Kevin McHugh, The Journal (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada publication), Spring 2005

"The brilliance of the writing distinguishes this book." --Dr. Kevin McHugh, The Journal (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada publication), Spring 2005

About the Author
James M. Lang is a professor of English at Assumption College in Worcester, MA where he teaches writing workshops in creative nonfiction and courses in contemporary British literature. He writes a regular column about academic life called "The Tenure-Track Diaries" for The Chronicle of Higher Education. He is a regular contributor to Notre Dame Magazine and to regional parenting publications across the nation. Jim lives with his wife and three daughters in Worcester, MA.

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Customer Reviews

He tells it like it is
James Lang reminded me of all the pain, fears and heartaches that most Crohn's patients experience in the early stages of Crohn's disease.

I've lived with Crohn's and its realities over 30 years since being diagnosed in college, and Jim covers all the bases. As an English professor and author, he skillfully addresses the multiple bathroom visits, constant early denial, self diagnosis (it's just indigestion), travel paranoia, and middle of the night hospital trips. They should give frequent flier miles for IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) hospital stays.

Most importantly, he personailizes the effect that chronic illness has on many aspects of life - family, marriage, friendships, faith, career, and self confidence.

"Learning Sickness" will benefit anyone who has or knows of someone with Crohn's disease, Colitis or almost any other chronic condition. It just doesn't go away. Fortunately, we have some people like Jim Lang, brave enough to share their story.

A must read for friends and family members of IBD sufferers
For years, myself, my friends, and my family have struggled with feeling helpless as my physical and mental health fluctuate due to the unpredictable nature of IBD. Jim's book offers the heartfelt insights about coping with chronic disease that I have been either too tired or too afraid to admit to even my closest companions. While this book offers an honest voice I can commiserate with, it is a much needed resource for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be sick with IBD. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for both the sufferer and those who want to learn more.

This Crohns patient liked it!
As a 30-year-old who had Crohns for the past 6 years, I was interested in this book. It was well written and sweet. I often had the same feelings the author had about taking the darn pills every day and always feeling sick.
I also liked how he sat in church and prayed to feel better. I also went thru the, "Mad at God" stage b/c I was so sick and blamed him for my illness. It was nice to know that others feel the same way sometimes, and it helped ease a little of my guilt.
Great book for a Crohns or UC patient...or their family and friends... :)